Labeling Forwarded Messages
Starting
today, WhatsApp will indicate which messages you receive have been
forwarded to you. This extra context will help make one-on-one and group
chats easier to follow. It also helps you determine if your friend or
relative wrote the message they sent or if it originally came from
someone else. To see this new forwarded label, you need to have the
latest supported version of WhatsApp on your phone.
WhatsApp cares deeply about your safety. We encourage you to think before sharing messages that were forwarded. As a reminder, you can report spam or block a contact in one tap and can always reach out to WhatsApp directly for help.
WhatsApp cares deeply about your safety. We encourage you to think before sharing messages that were forwarded. As a reminder, you can report spam or block a contact in one tap and can always reach out to WhatsApp directly for help.
New Group Setting for Admins
Over the last few months, we've added new features
that improve the groups experience. Some of these include group
descriptions, a catch up feature, and protection for people who are
being added repeatedly to groups they've left.
Today, we're launching a new group setting where only admins are able to send messages to a group. One way people use groups is to receive important announcements and information, including parents and teachers at schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations. We've introduced this new setting so admins can have better tools for these use cases.
To enable this setting, open “Group Info,” tap Group Settings > Send Messages and select “Only Admins.” This setting is rolling out to all users around the world on the latest supported versions of the app.
Today, we're launching a new group setting where only admins are able to send messages to a group. One way people use groups is to receive important announcements and information, including parents and teachers at schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations. We've introduced this new setting so admins can have better tools for these use cases.
To enable this setting, open “Group Info,” tap Group Settings > Send Messages and select “Only Admins.” This setting is rolling out to all users around the world on the latest supported versions of the app.
New Features for Groups
Groups
have been an important part of the WhatsApp experience, whether it's
family members connecting across the globe or childhood friends staying
in touch over the years. There are also people coming together in groups
on WhatsApp like new parents looking for support, students organizing
study sessions, and even city leaders coordinating relief efforts after
natural disasters. Today, we're sharing improvements that we've made to
groups.
What's New
What's New
- Group description: A short blurb found under group info that allows you to set the purpose, guidelines, or topics for the group. When a new person joins a group, the description will show up at the top of the chat.
- Admin controls: In group settings, there's now a control that allows admins to restrict who can change the group's subject, icon, and description.
- Group catch up: When you've been away from a group chat, quickly catch up on messages that mention or reply to you by tapping on a new @ button that appears at the bottom right corner of the chat.
- Participant search: Find anyone in a group by searching for participants on the group info page.
- Admins can now remove admin permissions of other group participants, and group creators can no longer be removed from the group they started.
Updating Our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for Users in the European Union
Next
month, the European Union is updating its privacy laws to require
greater transparency for how people's information is used online.
WhatsApp is updating our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy where the law known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is taking effect.
We are not asking for new rights to collect personal information with this update. Our goal is simply to explain how we use and protect the limited information we have about you. There are a few things we want to highlight:
We are not asking for new rights to collect personal information with this update. Our goal is simply to explain how we use and protect the limited information we have about you. There are a few things we want to highlight:
- WhatsApp in Europe: WhatsApp has established an entity within the European Union to provide your services there and to meet the new high standards of transparency for how we protect the privacy of our users.
- Data sharing: We are not currently sharing account information to improve your product and ads experience on Facebook. As we have said in the past, we want to work closer with other Facebook companies in the future and we will keep you updated as we develop our plans.
- Staying safe on WhatsApp: When we receive reports of a bad actor sending unwanted messages - like SPAM or abusive content - on either WhatsApp or Facebook, we share information and can take action including blocking them across both services. You can learn more about how to stay safe on WhatsApp by reviewing these safety tips.
Introducing the WhatsApp Business App
People
all around the world use WhatsApp to connect with small businesses they
care about — from online clothing companies in India to auto parts
stores in Brazil. But WhatsApp was built for people and we want to
improve the business experience. For example, by making it easier for
businesses to respond to customers, separating customer and personal
messages, and creating an official presence.
So today we're launching WhatsApp Business — a free-to-download Android app for small businesses. Our new app will make it easier for companies to connect with customers, and more convenient for our 1.3 billion users to chat with businesses that matter to them. Here's how:
Over 80% of small businesses in India and Brazil say WhatsApp helps them both communicate with customers and grow their business today (Source: Morning Consult study). And WhatsApp Business will make it easier for people to connect with them, and vice versa, in a fast and simple way.
WhatsApp Business is available today and free to download on Google Play in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the U.K. and the U.S. The app is rolling out around the world in the coming weeks. This is just the beginning!
So today we're launching WhatsApp Business — a free-to-download Android app for small businesses. Our new app will make it easier for companies to connect with customers, and more convenient for our 1.3 billion users to chat with businesses that matter to them. Here's how:
- Business Profiles: Help customers with useful information such as a business description, email or store addresses, and website.
- Messaging Tools: Save time with smart messaging tools — quick replies that provide fast answers to frequently asked questions, greeting messages that introduce customers to your business, and away messages that let them know you're busy.
- Messaging Statistics: Review simple metrics like the number of messages read to see what's working.
- WhatsApp Web: Send and receive messages with WhatsApp Business on your desktop.
- Account Type: People will know that they're talking to a business because you will be listed as a Business Account. Over time, some businesses will have Confirmed Accounts once it’s been confirmed that the account phone number matches the business phone number.
Over 80% of small businesses in India and Brazil say WhatsApp helps them both communicate with customers and grow their business today (Source: Morning Consult study). And WhatsApp Business will make it easier for people to connect with them, and vice versa, in a fast and simple way.
WhatsApp Business is available today and free to download on Google Play in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the U.K. and the U.S. The app is rolling out around the world in the coming weeks. This is just the beginning!
Deleting Messages for Everyone
Starting
today you can now delete messages you sent by mistake — whether to one
person or an entire group. Here's how it works: tap and hold on the
message, choose "Delete," and then "Delete for everyone." You have seven
minutes to delete the message after it's sent.
This feature is rolling out for users around the world on the latest versions of iPhone, Android, Windows Phone as well as desktop. Both you and the message recipient must be using the latest version of WhatsApp for the message to be successfully deleted.
You can learn more in our FAQs for Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone.
This feature is rolling out for users around the world on the latest versions of iPhone, Android, Windows Phone as well as desktop. Both you and the message recipient must be using the latest version of WhatsApp for the message to be successfully deleted.
You can learn more in our FAQs for Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone.
Share your live location
Today,
we’re rolling out a new feature that allows you to share your location
in real-time with family or friends. Whether you're meeting up with
friends, letting loved ones know you're safe, or sharing your commute,
Live Location is a simple and secure way to let people know where you
are. This end-to-end encrypted feature lets you control who you share
with and for how long. You can choose to stop sharing at any time or let
the Live Location timer simply expire.
Here's how it works. Open a chat with the person or group you want to share with. Under "Location" in the attach button, there's a new option to "Share Live Location." Choose for how long you want to share and tap send. Each person in the chat will be able to see your real-time location on a map. And if more than one person shares their Live Location in the group, all locations will be visible on the same map.
Live Location is available on both Android and iPhone and will be rolling out in the app in the coming weeks. We hope you like it.
Here's how it works. Open a chat with the person or group you want to share with. Under "Location" in the attach button, there's a new option to "Share Live Location." Choose for how long you want to share and tap send. Each person in the chat will be able to see your real-time location on a map. And if more than one person shares their Live Location in the group, all locations will be visible on the same map.
Live Location is available on both Android and iPhone and will be rolling out in the app in the coming weeks. We hope you like it.
Building for People, and Now Businesses
Over
1 billion people use WhatsApp every day to stay connected with their
family and friends, and over time, more people are using the app to
communicate with businesses they care about too. In fact, many
connections are already taking place every day, whether it's someone
placing an order with a local bakery or looking at new styles from a
clothing store. But the way this happens now on WhatsApp is pretty
rudimentary. We've heard stories of shopkeepers who use WhatsApp to stay
in touch with hundreds of customers from a single smartphone, and from
people who are unsure about whether or not a business on WhatsApp is
authentic. In the coming months, we'll be testing new features that aim
to solve some of these challenges, and make it easier for people to
communicate with the businesses they want to reach on WhatsApp. Our
approach is simple – we want to apply what we've learned helping people
connect with each other to helping people connect with businesses that are important to them.
We know businesses have many different needs. For example, they want an official presence – a verified profile so people can identify a business from another person – and an easier way to respond to messages. We're building and testing new tools via a free WhatsApp Business app for small companies and an enterprise solution for bigger companies operating at a large scale with a global base of customers, like airlines, e-commerce sites, and banks. These businesses will be able to use our solutions to provide customers with useful notifications like flight times, delivery confirmations, and other updates.
Whether someone is communicating with a business around the corner or around the globe, people expect WhatsApp to be fast, reliable, and secure. We'll be listening carefully to feedback during our test phase and keeping people informed as we make these tools more widely available. It's important that we get this right and are thoughtful about the new experiences we'll provide for businesses and our users. For more information, please read this FAQ.
We know businesses have many different needs. For example, they want an official presence – a verified profile so people can identify a business from another person – and an easier way to respond to messages. We're building and testing new tools via a free WhatsApp Business app for small companies and an enterprise solution for bigger companies operating at a large scale with a global base of customers, like airlines, e-commerce sites, and banks. These businesses will be able to use our solutions to provide customers with useful notifications like flight times, delivery confirmations, and other updates.
Whether someone is communicating with a business around the corner or around the globe, people expect WhatsApp to be fast, reliable, and secure. We'll be listening carefully to feedback during our test phase and keeping people informed as we make these tools more widely available. It's important that we get this right and are thoughtful about the new experiences we'll provide for businesses and our users. For more information, please read this FAQ.
Connecting One Billion Users Every Day
Just last year, we shared that one billion people around the world use WhatsApp every month. Today, we are excited and proud to share that one billion people around the world use WhatsApp every day to stay in touch with their family and friends.
Whether it’s sharing personalized photos and videos, connecting through video calling, or keeping friends updated throughout the day with Status, communicating on WhatsApp has never been easier or more personal. We are humbled that so many people are using these new features to connect with one another in their own special way.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re committed more than ever to bringing you more useful features to enjoy, while delivering the reliability, simplicity, and security you expect with WhatsApp. Thank you for your continued support.
Whether it’s sharing personalized photos and videos, connecting through video calling, or keeping friends updated throughout the day with Status, communicating on WhatsApp has never been easier or more personal. We are humbled that so many people are using these new features to connect with one another in their own special way.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re committed more than ever to bringing you more useful features to enjoy, while delivering the reliability, simplicity, and security you expect with WhatsApp. Thank you for your continued support.
WhatsApp Status
It
was just eight years ago, in February 2009, when we started writing the
first lines of code for what would eventually become WhatsApp. The
original idea behind the project was to build an application that lets
your friends and other contacts know what you're up to. This was months
before we added messaging. The first version of our app looked like
this: Even after we added messaging in the summer of 2009, we kept the basic "text only" status functionality in WhatsApp. Every year, when Brian and I would plan projects to work on, we always talked about improving and evolving this original "text only" status feature.
We are excited to announce that, coinciding with WhatsApp's 8th birthday on February 24, we are reinventing the status feature. Starting today, we are rolling out an update to status, which allows you to share photos and videos with your friends and contacts on WhatsApp in an easy and secure way. Yes, even your status updates are end-to-end encrypted.
Just like eight years ago when we first started WhatsApp, this new and improved status feature will let you keep your friends who use WhatsApp easily updated in a fun and simple way. From all of us at WhatsApp, we hope you enjoy it!